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GREEN BAY - All five of the Oneida Casino's properties will close for two weeks at 11:59 p.m. Saturday to combat the spread of the new coronavirus.
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The decision to close came on the same day that Gov. Tony Evers ordered a ban on public gatherings of 10 or more people, a restriction that extends to the closure of bars and restaurants.
'Oneida gaming revenue provides our community with the funds for critical programs and services, as well as meet the vital needs of our people,' the gaming general manager for the Oneida Casino, Louise Cornelius, said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon. 'It was extremely difficult to entertain the thought of closing our doors.'
© Ebony Cox, Ebony Cox/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Scenes of slot machines on Tuesday, March 17, 2020, at Oneida Casino in Green Bay, Wis. Ebony Cox/USA TODAY NETWORK-WisconsinThe Oneida Nation joined the state's 10 other tribes in closing 26 casinos in Wisconsin.
The Oneida Casino properties are on Airport Drive, Mason Street, on Packerland Drive, by Highway 29 in Pulaski, and in the Irene Moore Activity Center adjacent to the 2020 Airport Drive location.
© Ebony Cox/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Oneida Nation Chairman Tehassi Hill speaks to media during the Oneida Nation press conference about shutting down the tribe's casinos starting at midnight Sunday.Oneida Chairman Tehassi Hill called the closure was unprecedented, as the tribe has never closed the casino for an extended period of time.
Barbara Webster, public relations director for the Oneida Nation, said gaming revenue supplements a number of social services.
Gaming revenue funds public safety and policing on the reservation in both Brown and Outagamie counties. Revenue also supports programs in education, the clinic, the nursing home, and transit program, Webster said. To combat the spread of COVID-19, the transit program is running only for people to travel to work and medical appointments.
This lost funding made the decision to close the casino difficult, officials said.
The Oneida Nation government worked with other tribal governments, local governments, and the state government to make its decision. According to its website, the tribe also reviewed the closing of other casinos in the U.S., including those in Las Vegas and Atlantic City.
'Because we have such a large operation, the tribe, it was difficult to get all our ducks in a row,' Webster said. 'It was very difficult to get every facet of our government, our programs, and our businesses all in alignment so we can make public announcements.'
All employees will be given paid time off during the shutdown. Some employees will be working after closure to wrap up operations to meet accountability and reporting requirements in accordance with the casino's gaming compact with the state.
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© Ebony Cox/USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin Don Jahnke plays the machines on Tuesday at Oneida Casino in Green Bay. 'I don't know what I'm going to do for excitement,' he said. 'Television gets a little boring; I'm probably not going to quarantine myself, instead I might have to travel to find a casino that is open.'The casino will enforce social distancing measures while it remains open.
Hill said they would remove chairs from the slot bank so people are not allowed to sit elbow to elbow. They will also reconsider the types of games allowed on the gaming floor to adhere to social distancing standards.
Soon after the state of Wisconsin declared a public health emergency last week, the Oneida Nation declared a State of Public Health Emergency March 12 to help prevent the spread of COVID-19.
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Though there are no confirmed cases in the Oneida community, the public health emergency declaration gives the Oneida Nation access to potential funding, assistance, and resources if needed.
This declaration includes the closure of the Congregate Meal Site that serves meals to the elderly, no visitors to the Anna John Resident Centered Care Community unless under emergency circumstances, and increased disinfection of work areas and public areas. There are also restrictions on non-local travel for its employees.
The Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel reported Monday the Potawatomi Hotel & Casino will suspend operations indefinitely starting 5 p.m. Tuesday due to the spread of COVID-19 in Wisconsin. Ho-Chunk Gaming in Madison closed at 7 a.m. Tuesday, with plans to re-open on April 1. All 26 casinos in the state followed with announcements to close Tuesday.
As of Tuesday afternoon, there are more than 5,850 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the U.S., according to Johns Hopkins University.
MORE: Milwaukee's Potawatomi Hotel & Casino joins other casinos in shutting down in response to pandemic
Contact Nusaiba Mizan at (920)-431-8310 or nmizan@gannett.com. Follow her on Twitter at @nusaiblah.
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This article originally appeared on Green Bay Press-Gazette: Oneida Casino properties will close for 2 weeks starting Saturday to combat the spread of coronavirus